Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter seven of "Don't Run Away." I'm glad it took just three days to get out. This chapter has plenty of Tommy/Kim. The wedding will be in the next one. This fic has one more chapter to go before it comes to an end. Stay tuned for chapter eight.

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Chapter 7: A Little Sitting

The early evening moon beamed its light on the forest. A great-horned owl glided above it. It slipped beneath the canopy and landed on a branch in the middle of a tree very close to the cabin. It looked down at the back steps, where Tommy sat watching two coyotes play around. The first coyote pounced on the second, pinning it to the ground. Its companion pulled itself out from underneath it and grabbed its ear. It tugged on the ear with a playful growl, but the other one shook itself free from its grasp.

The second coyote climbed on the first one's back and bit the tuff of its neck gently. Its companion threw its aside and swiped it paw at it, hitting it in the jaw. It jumped at the other coyote and wrestled it to the ground. It yelped in surprise when its companion flipped it over on it back. The other coyote got off it and watched it get up. It licked its companion affectionately on the nose. The coyote responded by nuzzling it.

Tommy chuckled quietly at the coyotes' display of affection. He thought they looked so sweet. He wondered how many of them lived in the mountains. He was aware they could live anywhere, even in suburbs. He knew the primary reason for their increasing population was the eradication of wolves from the state. He wished that hadn't happened, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.

The door opened, causing the coyotes to run away. Tommy listened to their barking as they vanished into the undergrowth. It stopped completely after ten seconds. He looked up to see Kim stepping outside. She closed the door behind her, its hinges squeaking slightly. She came to his side, looking down at him with a smile.

"Hi, Tommy," Kim greeted.

"Hi, Kim," Tommy responded. "How was your shower?"

"It was good," Kim admitted as she ran her hand over her damp hair. "It's nice that your uncle left a blow dryer here."

"That keeps us from having to bring one here," Tommy said and rubbed his nose. "Besides, a blow dryer takes up a bit of room in a suitcase."

"You are telling me," Kim commented with a giggle. "Is it okay if I join you out here?"

"Sure," Tommy said eagerly and scooted over a little bit. He patted the spot beside him. "Come on, and sit down."

Kim seated herself next to Tommy. They spotted the owl sitting in the tree. It opened its beak slightly and let out a soft hoot. It turned its head completely around.

"I like how an owl can turn its head completely around," she said, smiling.

"I wish our teachers could do that. They would scare the troublemakers silly," he said, a snicker coming from him.

"I can see Bulk and Skull getting so scared that they'd pee their pants. They act like they are brave, but they run at the first sign of danger," Kim said while pointing her finger at her temple. She twirled it around and made cuckoo sounds. "Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Kat told us they did that when Scorpina, Dragontor, and their gang of Putties attacked the school."

"They mentioned those jerks screamed like girls too," Tommy added.

She giggled. "If you told them they did that, they would deny it."

He shrugged. "Many people don't like hearing the truth."

She nodded in agreement. She couldn't count the number of times people got mad at her for speaking the truth. She knew they only wanted to hear endless praise. She was aware life didn't work that way. She understood constructive criticism could be very useful in many circumstances. Of course, she didn't like constant criticism.

"When you come here, do you sit on these steps often?" Kim asked.

"Oh, yes. It's a great place for me to gather my thoughts. If you're lucky, you might see a bald eagle or a golden eagle sitting in a tree," Tommy answered and motioned toward the trees.

"Nice," Kim said with a delighted squeak.

"I saw a female white-tailed deer and her fawn feeding on tree bark during a spring break trip here. I ran inside to get my dad's camera, but they were gone by the time I got back outside," Tommy said and frowned quite a bit. "I was so disappointed."

Kim laid a hand on Tommy's shoulder. She remembered times she wanted to take pictures of animals she didn't see often, only to find she didn't have her camera or didn't catch them in time. It frustrated her when she couldn't get close to them, but she was grateful she saw them at all. She put her hand back in her lap.

"Tommy, did your uncle ever have a girlfriend? Did he ever have any kids?" Kim asked.

"Uncle John had a girlfriend named Izzy Minks. She became pregnant with his son six months after they started dating. He was excited about being a father. I was proud to call her my aunt. She gave birth to a boy named Kenneth. Both of them died in a car crash three years after Kenneth was born. They were coming home from a playdate when she lost control of the car and smashed into a tree. They were killed instantly. The accident happened when I was eleven years old," Tommy explained and sniffled. "I loved playing with my cousin whenever he and his parents visited Moore. He was the sweetest little boy."

Tommy felt tears fall down his cheeks, as memories of playing with his cousin filled his mind. He wished he could go back in time and stop that auto accident from happening, but he knew it was impossible. Kim rubbed his shoulder before slipping her arm around it.

"I'm so sorry about your aunt and cousin, Tommy," she said sympathetically.

"Thank you, Kim," Tommy replied while wiping tears from his cheeks. "In my dreams, I see myself chasing Aunt Izzy and Kenneth. Then they disappear."

"It sucks, but it is what it is," Kim said with a sad sigh.

"Mm-hmm," Tommy agreed.

"I forgot to tell you this, but I have a brother," Kim responded while stroking her chin.

"Oh, really?" Tommy asked very curiously.

"Yep," Kim commented with a slow nod. "His name is Brad. He is older than I am. He is currently attending college at UT Martin. He is a sophomore. He wants to get a natural resources management degree. I have an uncle named Steve. He is my father's older brother. He loves flying planes. Grandpa Joe and Grandma Janine live with him. They have been talking about running a small farm."

"That is pretty cool," Tommy said and took her hand into his. He laid it in his lap. "If only all siblings could be like Robbie and Brad."

She scoffed. "Unfortunately, they aren't. Leah thinks she is entitled to special treatment. When she doesn't get it, she throws a tantrum."

"That woman is twenty-four years old, yet she still acts like a little kid," Tommy grumbled with a shake of his head. "I don't see her ever growing up."

"I bet Leah and Veronica would get along very well. Both of them are bitches. The difference is the former was never spoiled by her parents," Kim pointed out truthfully.

"They might be two peas in a pod," Tommy murmured with a snort. "Then again, one might decide the other is too bitchy for her taste."

"That's true," Kim agreed.

He smiled. "It doesn't matter. You are a better woman than those two bitches combined."

He kissed her temple twice. He kept his lips there for thirty seconds before pulling away. He rubbed it so lightly that it seemed he wasn't even doing touching it.

"Have your parents ever fought?" Tommy wondered.

"A few times. The arguments were never that bad. They were always careful not to argue in front of Brad and me," Kim explained.

"That's good," Tommy said with a small smile.

"What about your parents?" Kim asked, curiosity filling her eyes. "Have they ever fought?"

"Several times," Tommy admitted. "Their arguments were never that bad either. They made sure not to argue in front of me."

"Great," Kim said, sighing in relief. "I hope we never get into a fight ourselves, but you just never know."

"Even the happiest couples in the world get into fights. It is part of being in a relationship. It doesn't matter if they are married or not," Tommy pointed out honestly.

"I remember Jesse asking Glen if he and Annie ever fought in Free Willy. Glen admitted they did every other month or so. After Jesse came home late, Glen and Annie did get into a fight. Jesse got scared. Glen told him adults argued sometimes, but that didn't mean anyone would get hurt. He said he would never him or his wife," Kim added.

"Jesse must have been in several foster homes where the foster parents argued constantly. Glen and Annie's fight reminded him of that," Tommy suggested.

"It is highly likely his birth parents fought too. His father left him and his mother. She gave him up to social services for his own good," Kim commented, sniffling.

"Yeah," Tommy said, his body shaking somewhat. "Unlike Jesse's mother, mine left me all alone in the middle of a Kroger parking lot."

"No kid should have to go through such an abandonment, but it happens," Kim mumbled bitterly.

"Being abandoned can really mess up a kid's mind," Tommy answered very seriously. "Jesse had a juvenile record before he was placed with the Greenwoods. He was unruly and hostile toward them in the beginning. His friendship with Willy turned his life around. He finally accepted Glen and Annie when they helped him free the orca."

"I imagine they adopted him not long after Willy's leap to freedom," Kim said, a small smile crossing her lips.

"I agree," Tommy said and suppressed a yawn. "Jesse deserved a family after all he had been through."

Kim let out a soft sniffle. She wished more couples would adopt children, especially older ones. She hated so many were in foster care. She considered herself lucky that Daryl and Caroline were such good parents to her and Brad. Tommy slipped a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I am sure your brother is looking forward to coming home for Thanksgiving," he said.

"Oh, he is," she admitted in much warmth. "He wants to help Mom with the turkey. She hasn't bought one yet, but she is planning to this weekend."

"Cool," Tommy said and kissed her forehead.

"What about you? Are you looking forward to your first Thanksgiving in Angel Grove?" Kim wondered.

Tommy laughed excitedly. "You bet I am."

"Great," Kim squeaked and tickled his chin.

"I have to laugh at people who wait until the last minute to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner," Tommy said, making a funny noise.

"You are telling me," Kim muttered with a roll of her eyes. "Many turkeys are huge. They take hours to cook."

"I have to say you are a big turkey," Tommy teased.

"You are a bigger turkey than I am," Kim retorted in much playfulness.

"No," Tommy said, shaking his head fast.

Kim nodded in a rapid manner. "Yes."

Tommy pinched his fiancée's cheek while speaking baby talk. She took hold of his wrist and pulled his hand off. She laid it in his lap before giving it a gentle pat. He flicked her nose three times and tickled her chin. He laughed when she swatted his hand aside.

"What do you say we eat dinner?" Tommy suggested.

"Okay," Kim said eagerly. "I bet I finish my sandwich before you do."

He huffed. "Sure, you will."

"After we relax a little bit, then we will set up the living room for our wedding," Kim said, excitement showing in her voice.

"I can't wait," Tommy said in much happiness.

She squealed. "Me neither. Come on."

Tommy released his hold on Kim's hand. They stood up and turned around. They approached the door. He opened it, its hinges squeaking. He stepped aside, allowing her to go in. He walked inside and closed it behind him. The owl spread its wings and flew away.